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A doctor warns about the potentially "catastrophic" consequences of swallowing batteries after a four-year-old girl died on the Sunshine Coast.

But there was little that could be done for her.

Noosa Hospital chief executive Oliver Steele said it was an "extremely distressing case".

"Noosa Hospital confirms that a female paediatric patient was treated in its emergency department in the early hours of Sunday, June 30, before being transferred to Brisbane by helicopter for ongoing treatment," he told The Sunshine Coast Daily.

"The hospital understands the patient died before she could receive treatment for a rare complication in Brisbane."

Mr Steele said emergency staff did everything they could in caring for the patient.

"Appropriate procedure was correctly followed," he said.

"The hospital has extended its sympathies to the patient's family for their tragic loss.''

"If the ingestion is not recognised, the battery can erode through into vital organs, causing catastrophic damage and sometimes death."

The damage the batteries do is terrible.

Saliva immediately triggers an electrical current, causing a chemical reaction that begins to burn through tissue.

Safety campaigners want parents to realise how common these batteries are around the home, powering everything from bathroom and kitchen scales to hearing aids, MP3 speakers and musical greeting cards.